1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a motorcycle radiator for cooling a motorcycle engine by means of cooling water, and more particularly to a method of manufacturing the motorcycle radiator having a arc-shaped radiator core.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the water-cooled motorcycle engine, the cooling water heated by the engine is transferred to the radiator in which heat exchange is conducted between the thus heated cooling water and open air. In the motorcycle, due to a restricted size of its body, the radiator to be mounted on such body is also restricted in size, particularly, in width. Therefore, much effort has been directed toward the manufacturing of the motorcycle radiator having a small width.
In one of conventional methods for reducing the width of the motorcycle radiator, for example such as methods disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Nos. 59-58631 and 59-182629, the motorcycle radiator is constructed of components comprising a radiator core having been horizontally bent to have an arc-shaped form.
However, such conventional method for manufacturing the motorcycle radiator having a small width is disadvantageous in that it involves lots of cumbersome assembling work causing the manufacturing cost of the radiator to increase.
More particularly, in the conventional method for manufacturing the motorcycle radiator, any of water tubes and air fins of the radiator has an arc-shaped form. Namely, the water tubes are constructed of flattened tube having an arc-shaped form, while the air fins are constructed of corrugated sheets also having an arc-shaped form. As is well known, the water tubes are spaced alternately with the air fins and assembled therewith to form a so-called radiator core which is so sandwiched between a pair of water tanks that the water tubes communicates with these water tanks. The thus assembled radiator also having an arc-shaped form is reinforced with metallic reinforcing plates having an arc-shaped form.
Consequently, in the conventional method for manufacturing the motorcycle radiator, it is necessary to prepare a large number of arc-shaped components such as the water tubes, air fins and the reinforcing plates. In mass production of the motorcycle radiator excellent in quality, it is necessary to produce a large number of these components in uniform and closer tolerance. Consequently, the conventional method involves intricate techniques for manufacturing the radiator, particularly in assembling of the above large number of the arc-shaped components, thus taking much time and labor leading to a considerably high manufacturing cost of the radiator. This is a problem inherent in the conventional method.